Dynavector 17d3 issues, please help

[crazymadfool]

Hi,
i really need some advise here.

I bought a ex-demo Avid diva II deck, with the standard RB arm, it had fitted a Dynavector 17d3 cart fitted to it.
sounded great in the shop, so i went for it.
Got it home and the dealer did not box it up too well and the stylus got damaged.
Called them up and the ordered me a nice new one.
this was 2 years ago,
I just cant set it up, the dealer has shut, no one will touch it as they did not supply it, so i am on my own here.
Currently the arm is dead level ( was leaning back quite far ) 2g of weight and it just sounds crap. i get distortion is some female vocals and it don't like the Killers album one bit. just sounds so edgy and like there is dust on the stylus ?

My sysetm is this,

Henley phono stage ( is this my issue as i cant adjust any settings on it ) ?
Rotel processor RSP 1098
Rotel Power amp RMB 1095
Bowers and Wilkins 703 speakers
Chord Signature cables.

Any advice is welcome,
I thank you in advance for any ones time.

[13oots2]

If the stylus is in good condition it is worth the effort to download an alignment protractor from here http://www.vinylengine.com/cartridge-alignment-protractors.shtml

All the usual suggestions such as leveling the deck, cleaning the stylus and proceed from there.

[crazymadfool]

Thanks, i used a Heybrook Universal alignment protractor, everything is spot on.
my phonostage is a closed unit, so i cant adjust anything, do you think that is a major issue ?

[markcass]

Hi

Could be a system matching issue, not just with the phono stage but the rest of your equipment. One obvious candidate would be the other transducer, your speakers.

How similar was the system in the shop when you listened to the deck/arm/cartridge there?

The cartridge itself might also not be fully run-in, if you haven't been able to use it much since it was supplied. Sometimes this can result in an edgy sound at first - and the run-in period for some items can be quite lengthy.

Of course, it might be that the Dynavector has quite specific loading requirements from the attached phono stage. It is possible to adjust this externally, using loading plugs. There are various threads here about the technique.

Finally, the fact that you hear some distortion suggests there might be more to do on the alignment front. The 17D3 is notoriously difficult to align because of the very short cantilever, which also means that small changes in tracking force could have a big impact on the vertical tracking angle (much more than adjusting the arm height). You could also perhaps try one of the arc protractors downloadable from here.

HTH

Mark

[KenCalgary]

You said that you received the TT/cart two years ago and now it doesn't work? Was it working well before during the 2 years you had it? Did you change anything with regard to your turntable set-up (e.g., moved it)?

[Hanuman]

just sounds so edgy and like there is dust on the stylus ?

Maybe there is. I think that when the micro-ridge gets clogged up even slightly it really takes a dive. If you have a loupe take a close-up look - you might be surprised. If it is dirty then I would recommend one of the dense carbon-fibre brushes (actually, one comes in the 17D3 box) or the green compound that Expert Stylus supplies with their cartridges (I'm not sure exactly what it is).

[crazymadfool]

Thank you to everyone here.
the deck i listened to was my deck, it was a ex-demo.
they however did use a dynavector phono stage.
Markcass you are now the second to mention my speakers. but my system (to me) is amazing on CD.
Hanuman..i have the original brush from the cart, clean the tip every side... you say micro ridge ?
KenCalgary, i have put the deck on a isolation platform - i'm about to remove that and see what happens ?

Thank you everyone !

[duficity]

If you are saying that the system sounded good when you bought it at the dealership, but it doesnt sound right when you hook it up to your system, then it would seem your system is the problem, assuming you properly aligned the cartridge when you installed it. You said the arm is now dead level, but was leaning back before. A cartridge mounted with the tail down will sound dead and bloated compared to one mounted with the tail up, which will sound bright and edgy. If you system tends to one side of that spectrum, and you are adding more, then it may well sound poorly compared to your CD.

[moon unit]

Henley phono stage ( is this my issue as i cant adjust any settings on it ) ?

Henley distributes many phono stages, AFAIK they do not produce one under the "Henley" name (at this time at least). Could you be a little more clear on this?

[markcass]

Hi

Henley Designs used to offer phono stages under their own name, but haven't done so for some years now. I imagine they were intended to complement the range of Ortofon cartridges, especially MCs, which they had just started distributing in the UK. Perhaps the best-known of these stages was the MC100.

Henley now distribute both Project and Lehmann Audio in the UK, so have no need to offer their own product.

To the OP: as the system sounds good on CD, you must be right that the speakers are not the problem. Can you borrow another phono stage to see whether a change might be beneficial?

Mark

[crazymadfool]

Mark you are right, the person i got the phono stage from had a ortfon blue rhoman.
The phono stage has no markings at all on it which is so annoying ?
I have taken the deck off the Atacama isolation platform, my sound has improved no end ?

Massive sound stage and top end has opened up, bass is a bit bloated so going to raise the arm a little to see if i can control it.

[markcass]

Mark you are right, the person i got the phono stage from had a ortfon blue rhoman.
The phono stage has no markings at all on it which is so annoying ?
I have taken the deck off the Atacama isolation platform, my sound has improved no end ?

Massive sound stage and top end has opened up, bass is a bit bloated so going to raise the arm a little to see if i can control it.

Hi

Good work! I'd forgotten to ask about the isolation/support your deck was on. Silly of me, as that has such a big influence on the sound from any turntable combination. The Diva has a suspension system of course, but I found that even my old Systemdek, which had soft springs giving a lot of isolation, was sensitive to its support.

Mark

[scho2684]

The Dynavector needs a rather heavy arm
I dont know the standard RB arm that you have, but I tried a 17D2 in a Rega RB300 arm and it sounded crap (the 17D2 needs a even heavier arm than the 17D3)

I had the same issues as you describe, distortion and edgy
Funny enough it sounded OK in the std Technics 1200MKII arm, but NOT on the Rega..

[crazymadfool]

scho2684, thats very interesting !

i am looking at moving to a different cartridge,
the milloin dollar question is what will work well on my deck ?

Mark you are so right, the deck sounds so different now its off the poor isolation i had, amazing really..